Citations increasing
for dangerous dogs
The Hawaiian Humane Society has issued more than double the number of dangerous- dog citations in the past 10 months compared with the previous 12.
The reason could be because more people are aware of the law and not because there are more dog attacks, said Eve Holt, Hawaiian Humane Society spokeswoman.
From July 1, 2002, to April 30, the Humane Society issued 53 dangerous-dog citations. From July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002, the Humane Society issued 24 citations.
According to Section 7-7.2 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, owners can be cited for failing to take reasonable measures to prevent their dog from attacking, without provocation, a person or animal, and the attack results in serious injury or destruction of an animal.
The most serious case in the past 10 months resulted in a judge ordering a dog, which was the subject of a previous citation, destroyed after it attacked a person, causing wounds that required 50 stitches, Holt said.
But she said there is no evidence that the number of attacks by dogs is on the rise. Holt said the increase in citations issued can just as likely be due to more people reporting attacks they may not have reported previously.
People can also report dog attacks to police. The Honolulu Police Department keeps no statistics on the number of dangerous-dog citations it issues.